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United States · Official source
6,479 records where Sen. Kerry, John F. [D-MA] is listed as a sponsor, author, or other actor. Search with topics and years
United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2005
Honors the memory of, and identifies, 2398 members of the Armed Forces who died in service to the United States in Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom as of December 12, 2005.
United States · United States Congress · 15 December 2005
Declares that the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of the Honorable William Proxmire, a former member of the United States Senate. Declares that when the Senate adjourns on December 15, 2005, it stand adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of Senator Proxmire.
United States · United States Congress · 14 December 2005
Tax Depreciation, Modernization, and Simplification Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) authorize the Secretary of the Treasury to modify or create new class lives for depreciable business assets that reasonably reflect anticipated useful life and decline in value; (2) eliminate the mid-quarter accounting convention for determining depreciation; (3) allow an election to consolidate, in a mass asset account, the accounting of depreciable properties that each cost less than $10,000; and (4) extend permanently the $100,000 expensing allowance for depreciable business assets.
United States · United States Congress · 12 December 2005
Amends the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA PATRIOT ACT) Act of 2001 to extend from December 31, 2005, to March 31, 2006, provisions of that Act and the "lone wolf" provision of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004. (The lone wolf provision redefined "agent of a foreign power" to permit issuance of Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA) orders targeting terrorists without a showing that they are members of a terrorist group or agents of such a group or of any other foreign power.)
United States · United States Congress · 12 December 2005
Declares that the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of the Honorable Eugene J. McCarthy, a former member of the United States Senate. Declares that when the Senate adjourns on December 12, 2005, it stand adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of Senator McCarthy.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 2005
Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act of 2005 or the DREAM Act of 2005 - Amends the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to repeal the denial of an unlawful alien's eligibility for higher education benefits based on state residence unless a U.S. national is similarly eligible without regard to such state residence. Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security to cancel the removal of, and adjust to conditional permanent resident status, an alien who: (1) entered the United States prior to his or her sixteenth birthday, and has been present in the United States for at least five years immediately preceding enactment of this Act; (2) is a person of good moral character; (3) is not inadmissible or deportable under specified grounds of the Immigration and Nationality Act; (4) at the time of application, has been admitted to an institution of higher education, or has earned a high school or equivalent diploma; and (5) from the age of 16 and older, has never been under a final order of exclusion, deportation, or removal. Sets forth the conditions for conditional permanent resident status, including: (1) termination of status for violation of this Act; and (2) removal of conditional status to permanent status. Authorizes an alien who has satisfied the appropriate requirements prior to enactment of this Act to petition the Secretary for conditional permanent resident status. Sets forth provisions respecting: (1) exclusive jurisdiction; (2) penalties for false application statements; (3) confidentiality; (4) fee prohibitions; (5) higher education assistance; and (6) a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report respecting the number of aliens adjusted under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 2005
Assistant United States Attorney Retirement Benefit Equity Act of 2005 - Grants an assistant United States attorney the same civil service retirement benefits as a law enforcement officer, except as specified. Includes within the definition of "assistant United States attorney" any other attorney employed by the Department of Justice (DOJ) occupying a position designated by the Attorney General upon finding that the position: (1) involves routine employee responsibilities that are substantially similar to those of assistant U.S. attorneys; and (2) is critical to DOJ's successful accomplishment of an important mission. Sets forth provisions regarding the designation of attorneys as assistant U.S. attorneys. Requires DOJ to take measures reasonably designed to provide notice to incumbent assistant U.S. attorneys on their election rights and on the effects of making or not making a timely election. Allows an incumbent to elect, for all purposes, to be treated in accordance with this Act or to be treated as if this Act had never been enacted. Sets forth provisions regarding: (1) time limits for making an election; (2) retroactive effects; and (3) individual contributions for prior service.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 2005
Requires the metal content of the Medal of Honor, awarded by the President to members of the armed forces and Coast Guard, to be 90 percent gold and ten percent alloy.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 2005
Investing for Tomorrow's Schools Act of 2005 - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to enter into cooperative agreements with states to establish state and multistate infrastructure banks for education. Provides, under such agreements, that the Secretary will award grants to states for initial capital to make loans through such banks to local educational agencies and public libraries for construction, reconstruction, or renovation of public elementary or secondary schools and public library facilities. Grants congressional consent to states to enter into an interstate compact to establish a multistate infrastructure bank through such an agreement with the Secretary. Includes among infrastructure bank requirements that states contribute from nonfederal sources at least 25% of the amount of the federal grant. Lists types of projects eligible to be funded by such bank loans. Applies Davis-Bacon Act wage requirements with respect to individuals employed on such projects.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 2005
Calls on the President: (1) to ensure that U.S. foreign policy reflects appropriate understanding and sensitivity related to human rights, ethnic cleansing, and genocide documented in the U.S. record relating to the Armenian Genocide and the consequences of the failure to realize a just resolution; and (2) in the President's annual message commemorating the Armenian Genocide to accurately characterize the systematic annihilation of 1,500,000 Armenians as genocide and to recall the history of U.S. intervention in opposition to the Armenian Genocide.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2005
Colonel James Barrett Farm Study Act of 2005 - Directs the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a boundary study to evaluate the significance of the Colonel James Barrett Farm in Concord, Massachusetts, and to assess the suitability and feasibility of including Barrett's Farm in the National Park System as part of Minute Man National Historical Park.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2005
Prosecutors and Defenders Incentive Act of 2005 - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to direct the Attorney General to assume the obligation to repay student loans for borrowers who agree to remain employed, for at least three years, as: (1) state or local criminal prosecutors; or (2) state, local, or federal public defenders in criminal cases. Allows a borrower and the Attorney General to enter into an additional loan repayment agreement, after the required three-year period, for a successive period of service which may be less than three years. Limits the amount paid under such program on behalf of any borrower to $10,000 per calendar year and $60,000 total.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2005
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 320 High Street in Clinton, Massachusetts, as the "Raymond J. Salmon Post Office."
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2005
Amends the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate a specified segment of the Taunton River in Massachusetts as a component of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2005
Expresses the sense of Congress that the Medicaid prospective payment system for the federally-qualified health center program is critical to ensuring that both Medicaid recipients and the nation's uninsured population have access to quality affordable primary and preventive care services. Recognizes the critical role of such health centers as an essential source of care for millions of Medicaid recipients and uninsured Americans, and supports continuation of the prospective payment system in helping to maintain this system of care.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 2005
Vehicle and Fuel Choices for American Security Act - Instructs the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to publish in the Federal Register an oil savings target and action plan for specified calendar years. Amends federal transportation law to direct the Secretary of Transportation to develop a national tire fuel efficiency program for passenger cars and light trucks. Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to develop a national testing and assessment program to determine the fuel economy of heavy duty vehicles. Instructs the Secretary of Transportation to: (1) prescribe average heavy duty vehicle fuel economy standards; and (2) conduct a research and development program for electric drive transportation technology. Directs the Secretary of Energy to establish a lightweight material research and development program. Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to direct the Secretary of Energy to accelerate efforts to improve hybrid technologies. Amends the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) to allow an advanced technology motor vehicles manufacturing tax credit. Terminates the limitation on the number of qualified hybrid and advanced lean burn technology vehicles eligible for the alternative motor vehicle credit. Directs the Secretary of Energy to issue regulations requiring that by FY2016 each federal agency achieve at least a 30% reduction in its fleet petroleum consumption. Amends the IRC to: (1) establish a fuel-efficient tax credit for private fleets; (2) subject heavy vehicles to the depreciation limitation for certain luxury automobiles; and (3) increase the alternative fuel vehicle refueling property credit. Requires certain minimum percentages of light-duty motor vehicles manufactured for model years 2012 and beyond to use specified propulsion technologies and fuels. Amends federal transportation law to establish the Alternative Fueling Infrastructure Trust Fund. Amends the Clean Air Act to prescribe minimum annual quantities of renewable fuel from cellulosic biomass and sugar. Amends the the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a low-interest loan and grant program for farmer-owned ethanol producers to develop infrastructure, including pump stations, for the retail delivery of any fuel containing at least 85% ethanol. Amends federal transportation law to direct the Secretary of Transportation to develop a program to designate Transit-Oriented Development Corridors. Directs the Secretary of Energy to conduct a national media campaign to decrease oil consumption in the United States over the next decade.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 2005
Medicare Prescription Drug Gap Disclosure Act - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to require that a prescription drug plan or a Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug Plan with an initial coverage limit obtain a signed certification by an enrollee (or legal guardian), before enrolling, that acknowledges that: (1) a gap in coverage during a given year might occur; and (2) the enrollee, in such a case, will be responsible for paying 100% of the cost of his or her prescription drugs, in addition to the plan's monthly premium.
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 2005
Elder Justice Act - Amends the Social Security Act (SSA) to add a new title XXII (Elder Justice) to establish: (1) within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) an Office of Elder Justice (OEJ); (2) within the Office of the Secretary the Elder Justice Coordinating Council to make recommendations to the Secretary and the Attorney General for the coordination of activities of HHS, the Department of Justice, and other relevant federal, state, local, and private agencies and entities, relating to elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation and other crimes against elders; and (3) the Advisory Board on Elder Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation. Prescribes requirements for uniform collection, maintenance, and dissemination of national data relating to elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation, including an Elder Justice Resource Center in OEJ. Authorizes the HHS Secretary to award grants for: (1) prevention of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation; (2) five Centers of Excellence nationwide specializing in research, clinical practice, and training relating to elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation; (3) six diverse communities to examine various types of elder shelters and test various models for establishing safe havens; (4) nonprofit organizations and faith-based organizations to establish or continue volunteer programs focusing on the issues of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation, or providing related services; and (5) various multidisciplinary elder justice activities. Provides for: (1) reporting to law enforcement of crimes occurring in federally-funded long-term care facilities; (2) revising the quality of long-term care; and (3) increasing consumer information about long-term care, including an HHS long-term care consumer clearinghouse. Amends: (1) the Older Americans Act of 1965 with respect to the long-term care ombudsman program; (2) part A (General Provisions) of SSA title XI to establish an adult protective services grant program; (3) SSA titles XVIII (Medicare) and XIX (Medicaid) to assure safety of residents when nursing facilities close; and (4) part E (Miscellaneous) to apply skilled nursing facility preventive abuse requirements to long-term care facilities and providers. Establishes within the Department of Justice an Office of Elder Justice. Authorizes the Attorney General to award: (1) victim advocacy grants; and (2) grants for specified support to local and state prosecutors handling elder justice-related cases. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide for a long-term care facility worker employment tax credit.
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 2005
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act of 2005 - Amends the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (the Act) to authorize appropriations for the national fishery management program through FY2012. Revises provisions under the Act with respect to: (1) regional fishery management councils; (2) fishery management plan requirements; and (3) environmental review of fishery management plans; and (4) collection and confidentiality of certain information submitted for development of fishery management plans. Establishes: (1) limited access privilege programs to harvest fish; (2) Western Pacific regional marine education and training programs; (3) a regional economic transition program for fishermen affected by a catastrophic fishery disaster; (4) a bycatch reduction engineering program to minimize bycatch mortality; (5) a regionally based registry program for recreational fishermen; (6) an information program generated by the Marine Recreational Fishery Statistics Survey; (7) a cooperative research and management program; and (8) a Fisheries Conservation and Management Fund. Amends the Northern Pacific Halibut Act of 1982 to increase the civil penalties for violations of the Convention between the United States of America and Canada for the Preservation of the Halibut Fishery of the Northern Pacific Ocean and Bearing Sea and such Act. Authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to deny, revoke or suspend a permit issued to a vessel owner under marine resource law for such violations. Reauthorizes certain fisheries Acts through FY2010. Requires the Secretary to identify a nation's vessels that have engaged in illegal, unreported, or unregulated fishing (including relevant international fishery management organizations that have failed to implement effective measures to end such activities), or that have engaged in fishing practices beyond the exclusive economic zone that result in bycatch of a protected living marine resource, and to encourage them to take appropriate corrective actions or to enter into bilateral treaties to end such offending activities. Reauthorizes the the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act of 1975 through FY2012. Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Convention Implementation Act - Directs the President to appoint U.S. Commissioners to the Commission for the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPFC Convention). Directs the Secretary to promulgate regulations to carry out U.S. obligations under the WCPFC Convention with respect to the conservation and management of highly migratory fish stocks. Makes it unlawful for any person to violate such regulations. Authorizes appropriations. Pacific Whiting Act of 2005 - Directs the Secretary to appoint U.S. individuals to specified committees established by the Agreement between the Government of the United States and the Government of Canada on Pacific Hake/Whiting. Requires the Secretary to establish the U.S. catch level for Pacific whiting according to the standards of the Agreement. Authorizes appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 10 November 2005
Strategy for Success in Iraq Act - Directs the the President to implement a comprehensive new strategy for success in Iraq that simultaneously pursues a political solution and the redeployment of U.S. forces tied to specific political and military benchmarks, including actions to achieve the following: (1) reducing the sense of U.S. occupation of Iraq; (2) giving Sunnis a real stake in Iraq's future; (3) appointing a high-level presidential envoy to strengthen U.S. diplomatic efforts with respect to Iraq; (4) developing a new regional security structure with U.S. participation to enlist the support of the Sunni neighbors of Iraq; (5) accelerating reconstruction efforts in Iraq by providing the necessary civilian personnel, establishing civil-military reconstruction teams, streamlining fund disbursement to the provinces, expanding job creation programs, and strengthening the capacity of Iraqi government ministries; and (6) creating the military conditions for the redeployment of U.S. forces.
United States · United States Congress · 10 November 2005
YouthBuild Transfer Act of 2005 - Transfers the YouthBuild program from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to the Department of Labor. Repeals authority for the HUD YouthBuild program under the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act. Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to establish a revised YouthBuild program under the authority of the Secretary of Labor.
United States · United States Congress · 10 November 2005
Expresses the sense of the Senate that Veterans Day 2005 shall be commemorated with appropriate tributes to all veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces, especially to those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
United States · United States Congress · 8 November 2005
Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act of 2005 - Amends the Revised Statutes and federal criminal law to prohibit any person, whether acting under color of law or otherwise, from knowingly deceiving any other person regarding: (1) the time, place, or manner of conducting any federal election; or (2) the qualifications for or restrictions on voter eligibility for any such election. Creates a private right of action for any person aggrieved by a violation of such prohibition. Prescribes a criminal penalty for such deceptive acts. Authorizes any person to report a deceptive act to the Assistant Attorney General (AAG) of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice (or a designee). Requires the AAG to investigate such a report within 48 hours after its receipt and provide correct information to the voters if it is determined that an act of deception occurred. Requires an immediate investigation if such a report is received within 72 hours before an election. Directs the AAG, in such an instance, to undertake immediately all effective measures necessary to provide correct information to voters affected by the deception. Directs the Attorney General to study the feasibility of providing such corrective information through public service announcements, the emergency alert system, or other forms of public broadcast.
United States · United States Congress · 8 November 2005
Commemorates the 100th anniversary of the National Audubon Society.
United States · United States Congress · 8 November 2005
Requires the Joint Committee on the Library to procure a statue of Rosa Parks and cause it to be placed in a suitable location in the Capitol.
United States · United States Congress · 7 November 2005
Expresses the sense of the Senate that the conferees for any budget reconciliation bill of the 109th Congress shall not report a reconciliation bill that would with respect to low-income children, pregnant women, disabled individuals, elderly individuals, individuals with chronic illnesses like HIV/AIDS, cancer, and diabetes, individuals with mental illnesses, and other Medicaid beneficiaries: (1) impair access to Medicaid services; (2) undermine eligibility for such beneficiaries; (3) make Medicaid services unaffordable, hence unavailable, to them; or (4) cut health care services them. Expresses the sense of the Senate, also, that the conferees shall not report a reconciliation bill that would undermine the federal guarantee of health insurance coverage that the Medicaid program provides, which would threaten not only the health care safety net of the United States, but the entire health care system of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 3 November 2005
Directs the Architect of the Capitol to enter into an agreement to obtain a statue of Rosa Parks and to place the statue in the Capitol in a suitable permanent location in National Statuary Hall.
United States · United States Congress · 3 November 2005
Declares that the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of Henry Giugni, former Sergeant-at-Arms of the United States Senate. Declares that when the Senate adjourns on November 3, 2005, it stand adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of Henry Giugni.
United States · United States Congress · 3 November 2005
Recognizes November 2005 as National Adoption Month.
United States · United States Congress · 2 November 2005
Expresses the sense of the Senate that Congress should not repeal or substantially alter the federal tax deduction for state and local taxes.
United States · United States Congress · 1 November 2005
Cameron Gulbransen Kids and Cars Safety Act of 2005 - Directs the Secretary of Transportation to issue regulations for all passenger motor vehicles to require: (1) automatic reversal of direction by power windows and panels when they detect an obstruction, to prevent children from being trapped, injured, or killed; (2) a rearward visibility performance standard to prevent backing incidents; and (3) engagement of the vehicle service brake in all key positions while the key is out of the ignition before the engine is started or the transmission is engaged, to prevent accidents resulting from vehicles accidentally rolling away. Requires the Secretary to: (1) establish a database of injuries and deaths in nontraffic, noncrash events involving passenger motor vehicles; and (2) supplement a consumer information program on child safety or create a new program with information about hazards to children in nontraffic, noncrash incident situations.
United States · United States Congress · 1 November 2005
Specially Adapted Housing Grants Improvements Act of 2005 - Provides that if a veteran who is totally and permanently service-disabled (due to loss of, or loss of use of, one or more limbs or organs) resides, but does not intend to permanently reside, in a residence owned by a member of that veteran's family, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs may assist such veteran in acquiring such residence adaptations as necessary due to such disability. Provides assistance limits. Prohibits any veteran from receiving more than three assistance grants.
United States · United States Congress · 27 October 2005
Second Chance Act of 2005: Community Safety Through Recidivism Prevention or the Second Chance Act of 2005 - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to reauthorize, rewrite, and expand provisions regarding adult and juvenile offender reentry demonstration projects, including by authorizing funds for grants to: (1) provide structured post-release housing and transitional housing; and (2) establish or expand the use of reentry courts. Sets forth grant priorities and requirements, including that each applicant establish or empower a Reentry Task Force or other authority. Authorizes the Attorney General to make a grant to provide for the establishment of a National Adult and Juvenile Offender Reentry Resource Center. Directs the Attorney General to establish an interagency task force on federal offender reentry programs. Authorizes research on offender reentry. Directs: (1) the Secretary of Health and Human Services to review the role of state child protective services at the time of arrest; and (2) the Secretary of Labor to implement a program to educate employers and one-stop center workforce development providers about existing incentives and tax credits for hiring former prisoners. Amends the federal criminal code to direct a court to revoke a term of supervised release or a sentence of probation for a defendant who commits a crime of violence against, or an offense of unlawful sexual contact with, a person under age 16. Requires: (1) the Department of Justice to modify existing procedures and policies to enhance case planning and improve the transition of persons from the custody of the Bureau of Prisons to the community, including placement of such individuals in community corrections facilities; and (2) the Bureau to establish reentry planning procedures.
United States · United States Congress · 27 October 2005
Declares that Congress honors the trail-blazing life and pioneering accomplishments of Congressman Edward Roybal from California and expresses its condolences on his passing.
United States · United States Congress · 26 October 2005
Rebuild with Respect Act - Sets forth employment requirements for workers and businesses during the response to Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita (Gulf hurricanes). Reinstates the application of the prevailing wage requirements of the Davis-Bacon Act to all federal contracts in connection with Gulf hurricanes reconstruction efforts in the localities involved, notwithstanding the President's proclamation dated September 8, 2005, or any other provision of law. Reinstates the application of affirmative action requirements to all federal contracts to provide Gulf hurricanes relief, notwithstanding a specified Department of Labor memorandum. Prohibits the heads of federal executive agencies from awarding contracts or grants to procure disaster relief property or services in connection with Gulf hurricanes reconstruction efforts unless the contractors, subcontractors, and grant recipients employ workers affected by Gulf hurricanes as at least 50 percent of the workforce to provide such property or perform such services. Provides for a preference in the award of such contract for organizations, firms, or individuals residing or doing business primarily in an area affected by Gulf hurricanes. Extends the duration of disaster unemployment assistance benefits to up to 52 weeks for eligible workers based on the Gulf hurricanes disasters. Provides for eligible workers in qualified states an increased benefit amount of regular unemployment compensation and emergency extended unemployment compensation. Establishes programs of medical monitoring for individuals working or living in areas affected by Gulf hurricanes. Directs the Secretary of Labor to carry out specified occupational safety and health activities for workers in such areas.
United States · United States Congress · 25 October 2005
Virgie S. Arden American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act - Amends the Horse Protection Act to prohibit the shipping, transporting, moving, delivering, receiving, possessing, purchasing, selling, or donation of horses and other equines to be slaughtered for human consumption. Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to detain for examination, testing, or the taking of evidence: (1) any horse at any horse show, horse exhibition, or horse sale or auction which is sore or which the Secretary has probable cause to believe is sore; and (2) any horse or other equine which the Secretary has probable cause to believe is being shipped, transported, moved, delivered, received, possessed, purchased, sold, or donated in violation of such prohibition.
United States · United States Congress · 25 October 2005
Declares that the Senate honors the life and accomplishments of Rosa Parks and expresses its condolences on her passing.
United States · United States Congress · 21 October 2005
Native American Small Business Development Act of 2005 - Amends the Small Business Act to establish within the Small Business Administration (SBA) the Office of Native American Affairs, headed by an Assistant Administrator, to implement SBA programs for the development of business enterprises by Native Americans (American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians). Requires the Office to assist Native American entrepreneurs to: (1) start, operate, and grow small businesses; (2) develop management and technical skills; (3) seek federal procurement opportunities; (4) increase Native American employment opportunities; and (5) increase Native American access to capital markets. Requires the SBA to provide financial assistance to tribal governments, tribal colleges, Native Hawaiian organizations, and Alaska Native corporations to create Native American business centers. Requires each business center to conduct five-year projects for business education aid to such entities. Requires each assistance applicant to submit a five-year plan on proposed assistance and training activities. Establishes a four-year pilot program under which the SBA is authorized to award Native American development grants to provide culturally-tailored business development training and related services to Native Americans and Native American small businesses. Establishes a four-year pilot program under which the SBA shall award at least three American Indian Tribal Assistance Center grants to establish joint projects to provide culturally-tailored business development assistance to prospective and current owners of small businesses on or near tribal lands.
United States · United States Congress · 20 October 2005
Freedom's Way National Heritage Area Act - Establishes the Freedom's Way National Heritage Area encompassing 36 communities in Massachusetts and six communities in New Hampshire that have made important and distinctive contributions to the national character of America.
United States · United States Congress · 20 October 2005
Supports the goals and ideals of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Expresses the sense of the Senate that Congress should continue to raise awareness of domestic violence in the United States and its devastating impact on families.
United States · United States Congress · 19 October 2005
Authorizes the Secretary of the Army to carry out a small dam removal or rehabilitation project, including one relating to a privately-owned dam that does not generate hydropower, upon determining that the project will enhance public safety or improve the quality of the environment, or is in the public interest. Directs a non-federal interest to provide 35% of removal or remediation costs. Permits construction to be commenced only after a non-federal interest has entered into a binding agreement with the Secretary to pay: (1) the non-federal share of construction costs; and (2) 100% of any operation and maintenance costs. Limits to $5 million in federal funds the amount that may be allotted for a project at any single location.
United States · United States Congress · 19 October 2005
Supports the goals and ideals of "Lights On Afterschool!," a national celebration of after-school programs.
United States · United States Congress · 18 October 2005
San Francisco Old Mint Commemorative Coin Act - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue not more than 100,000 $5 gold coins and 500,000 $1 silver coins emblematic of the San Francisco Old Mint Building, its importance to California and U.S. history, and its role in rebuilding San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake and fire. Requires that all surcharges received by the Secretary from such coin sales be promptly paid to the San Francisco Museum and Historical Society to rehabilitate the Historic Old Mint in San Francisco as a city museum and an American Coin and Gold Rush Museum.
United States · United States Congress · 18 October 2005
Designates the week of October 23-October 29, 2005, as National Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Week.
United States · United States Congress · 7 October 2005
Displaced Citizens Voter Protection Act of 2005 - Extends to individuals evacuated from their residences as a result of Hurricane Katrina the right to use the absentee balloting and registration procedures available to military and overseas voters under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act. Requires each motor vehicle authority and each designated voter registration agency in a state to take necessary steps to notify individuals to whom services are provided of the protections provided by this Act and of the requirements for obtaining them, including the requirement to submit an affidavit stating that the individual intends to return to the place of residence where he or she is otherwise qualified to vote.
United States · United States Congress · 7 October 2005
Designates the week beginning October 16, 2005, as National Character Counts Week.
United States · United States Congress · 7 October 2005
Commends the late Constance Baker Motley, the first African-American woman appointed and confirmed for a federal judgeship and the former chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, for her service on the court and her lifelong commitment to civil rights and social justice.
United States · United States Congress · 7 October 2005
Supports the goals and ideals of "Lights On Afterschool!," a national celebration of after-school programs.
United States · United States Congress · 6 October 2005
Medicare Informed Choice Act of 2005 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to: (1) provide for an extended period of open enrollment during all of 2006 without late enrollment penalty; (2) give Medicare beneficiaries the opportunity to make a one-time change in prescription drug plan enrollment at any point in 2006; and (3) provide protection from loss of employment-based retiree health coverage upon enrollment for Medicare prescription drug benefit, including a Medicare Advantage-Prescription Drug benefit, during 2006.
United States · United States Congress · 5 October 2005
Strengthen the Earned Income Tax Credit Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) make permanent the reduction in the marriage penalty applicable to the earned income tax credit; (2) increase the percentage of such credit for families with three or more children; (3) reduce the phase-out of such credit for individuals without children; and (4) make permanent provisions treating combat pay as earned income for purposes of calculating such credit.